Coop or crate.



0.. J. LA BAUVE.

COOP OR CRATE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.17,1908.

Patented'Jan. 12, 1909.

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Oak Zola (/1 IaBaa 2;

ODELON .l. LA BAUVE, OF EDNA, TEXAS.

COOP OR CRATE.

Specification of Letters Fatent.

Patented .Tan. 12, 1909.

Application filed January 17, 1908. Serial No.: 411,307.

To ail whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, OonLoN J. La BAUVE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Edna, in the county of Jackson and State of Texas, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Coops or Grates, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to crates or coops and particularly to thecollapsible or folding type adapted for holding and transporting poultryand other live stock.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a crate or coop havinga strong and durable construction, and capable, when not in use, ofbeing reduced to compact form for return shipment or storage.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for convenientlyassembling the complemental parts of a crate or coop and minimize muchas possible the number of parts used, especially at the hinge joints forthe sides and ends.

A further object of the invention is to provide a separable cover havingsimple and additional means for retaining the same in place when thecrate or coop is arranged for use.

iVith these and other objects and advantages in view, the inventionconsists of the construction and arrangement of the several parts whichwill be more fully hereinafter disclosed.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a crate or coopembodying the features of the invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinalvertical section of the same taken on the line 22, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is adetail side elevation of the cover. Fig. 4 is a detail elevation of aportion of the coop. Fig. 5 illustrates detail perspective views of themembers composing each hinge oint. Fig. 6 is a detail perspective viewshowing a portion of the crate or coop and a modified form of the cover.

Similar characters of reference are employed to indicate correspondingparts in the several views.

The numeral 1 designates the bottom or floor of the crate constructedfrom any suitable material, preferably wood, and supported andstrengthened by means of bars or sills 2 which are disposed lengthwiseat the opposite side edges of the bottom or floor. At the corners of thebottom or floor 1 are supportingbrackets comprising securing members 3and vertical members 4. Each of the supporting brackets is so disposedthat the vertical member will be located adjacent to the end edge-of thebottom or door 1, and the inwardly extending securing member is attachedto the bottom and adjacent portion of the sell 2 by bolts or analogoustastenings 5, the sill giving additional strength to the fastenings 5and insuring a rigid application or each sup porting. bracket. Eachvertical member 4 is formed with an opening 6 located to one side of thevertical center of the said member and nearer the inner edge of thelatter. The upper end of the member 4 has an outer shoulder 7, the saidedge from the shoulder inwardly being curved or rounded as at 8 for apurpose which will be more fully hereinafter specified.

Secured on the lower corners of the sides 9 and ends 10 are pintlebrackets 11 and 12, consisting of angle-irons having pintle projections13 and 14 respectively extending outwardly therefrom at the angles ofeach, the pintle projection or pin 13 of the bracket 11 secured to eachside 9 engaging the opening 6 of the member 4 of the supporting bracket,and between the vertical member 15 of the pintle bracket 11 and themember 4 a lower eye-member 16 of a hinge link 17 is interposed, thepintle projection or pin 13 extending through the said eye-member 16, asclearly shown by Fig. 4. The upper eyemember 18 of the hinge link standsin a plane at right angles to the lower member 16 and movably receivesthe pintle projection or pin 14 of the pintle bracket 12 secured to theend 10 of the crate or coop, and by this means the lower edges of theends 10 are elevated above the lower edges of the sides 9 so that thesaid ends may conveniently fold over the sides when the coop or crate iscollapsed. It will be seen that the several hinge links 17 will havemore or less movement or will not present a rigid resistance when thesides 9 and ends 10 of the crate or coop are folded, and hence therewill be less wear and strain on the pintle projections 14 of the pintlebrackets 12 se cured to the ends 10. A further advantage of thisconstruction is that in the event of breakage of any one of the links asubstitution .for the same may be readily made at a minimum cost withoutrequiring the retremities of the said end bars, recesses 34 placement ofthe entire hinge joint members, and this is alsotrue of the supportingbrackets. This capability of substitution of individual parts willfacilitate repair of I crate hinges at a small cost and result ineconomy in the use of devices of this class. i

The several hinge links are held in place by engagement of theintermediate edges 19 thereof with the rounded edges 8 of the members 4;and, further, the outer face of each member 18 contacts with theadjacent shoul der 7 of the member 41 to give stability to the hingejoint at each corner when the sides 9 and ends 10 are elevated inoperative positions and also to assist n maintaining the hinge links inproper assembled relation to the remaining parts.

The frames 20 and 21 of the sides 9 and ends 10 are preferablyconstructed of stiff sheet metal bent at an angle, as shown by Fig. 6,with the horizontal flanges thereof extending inwardly; and secured overthe sides and ends is a suitable wire screen 22 which may be made up inany preferred manner.

The upper corners of the ends 10 havei locking clips 23 attached theretoand formed with slots 24 to fit over staples 25 secured on the adjacentcorners of the sides 9 and to complete the attachment of these uppercorners of the sides and ends, hooks 26, which are attached to theadjacent portions of the sides, are used and engage the staples 25. Itis preferred that the hooks 26 be secured on the upper portions of thesides 20, as shown by Fig. 4.

The cover 27 is separably fitted or applied to the coop or crate andcomprises angular end bars 28 preferably formed of sheet metal andconnected by longitudinal tie bars 29 secured to the end bars at adistance inwardly from the ends of the latter. The one longitudinal bar29 is also angular in cross section and at the center is provided withastaple 30 for engagement by a latch 31 movably attached to the centerof the adjacent top bar of the frame of one of the sides 9, a hook 32being used to complete the locking engagement of the latch 31 with thestaple 30 and attached'to the bar 29 carrying the said staple. Theextremities of the end bars 28 adjacent to the longitudinal tie bar 29carrying the staple 30' are cut away or' recessed, as at 33, so as topermit a portion of these extremities to project over the top of theframe of the side 9 carrying the latch 31, the depending flanges of theend bars 28 abutting against the top bar of the frame of the side 9. Theabutting shoulders formed by the recesses 13 are in planes at rightangles to the adjacent projected portions or the end bars 28, but at theopposite exare constructed and have inner oblique walls 35 which extendunder the top flange of the side 9 opposite that carrying the latch 31to prevent the cover at this side from having loose movement andbecoming disengaged after the latch 31 is secured to. the staple 30 bythe hook 32, as hereinbefore explained. This construction of the endbars of the cover 27 permits the said cover to have one side firstapplied and then moved down to horizontal position and secured by thelatch 31, and after the latch has been secured to the adjacentlongitudinal tie bar 29 of the cover the latter will be firmly held inapplied position, but always in condition for quick dissociation. Thecover will also have a suitable screen fabric 36 secured thereto, and atthe center an opening 37 is formed and provided with a stiff margin wireor frame 38 with which a hinged gate 39 cooperates. The gate 39 may beopened to permit access to the interior of the coop or crate to removethe fowl or to introduce feed and water within the coop. The cover willbe prevented from slipping out of place when applied or from movingsidewise in View of the two points of engagement set up between theoblique walls 35 of the recesses c4 and the top bar of the'one sideframe 9 when the latch 31 has been secured to the cover as shown by Fig.1; and if there should be any tendency to movement after wear of theparts, the adjacent edge portions of the hooks 26 adjacent to the pointsof engagement of the opposite extremities of the bars 28 with the topbars of the sides 9 will obstruct such movement.

In the modified form of the cover shown by Fig. 6, the end. bars 410 areconnected by longitudinal tie bars ll similar in construction to thoseshown by Figs. 1, 2 and 3. In this instance, however, the latch 42 isrigidly secured to one tie bar 41 and hasan opening or slot 43 to fitover a staple e4 on the upper bar of the frame of the adjacent side 9, ahook 45 secured on the said upper bar being used to complete the lock ofthe latch to the upper part of the side. In this instance, the end bars40 have two of their extremities extending loosely across the top bar ofthe frame of the one side carrying the staple 43 and the oppositeextremities provided with longitudinal slots 16 to removably fit underheaded studs 47 on the top bar of the frame of the opposite side 9. Thismodified form of the cover will also be provided with a suitable wirescreen and may have a central opening similar to that disclosed by Fig.1.

The crate or coop maybe collapsed or folded by detaching the cover andturning the sides 9 inwardly and subsequently like; wise arranging theends. The detached cover may then be suitably secured on the infoldedsides and ends and by this means the crate or coop is reduced to compactform, and a number of the same may be stored within a comparativelysmall space, either for return shipment or for storage when not in use.The advantages of a folding crate for return shipment are well known,especially in respect to the difference in freight rates and also lessliable to be injured by rough handling.

The crate or coop may be made in various sizes, and changes in theproportions, dimensions and minor details may be adopted withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus "fully described the invention, what is claimed as new, is:

l. A folding crate comprising a bottom, supporting brackets secured atthe corners of the bottom, sides and ends having pintle brackets securedto their lower corners and provided with pintle projections, hinge linkshaving upper and lower members at angles to each other, the pintleprojections of the sides extending through the lower members of thehinge links and portions of the supporting brackets and the pintleprojections of the ends extending through the upper members of the hingelinks, and means for maintaining the sides and ends in operativeassembled relation.

2. A folding crate comprising a bottom, sides and ends, hingeorganizations for the lower corners of the sides and ends and embodyingpintle projections on the latter, supporting brackets secured to thecorners of the bottom, and hinge links interposed between the lowercorners of the sides and ends and the supporting brackets and engaged bythe pintle projections.

A folding crate comprising a bottom infolding sides and ends, the lowercorners of the sides and ends having pintle projections and the bottomprovided with supporting brackets having upstanding members, and hingelinks interposed between the supporting brackets and the lower cornersof the sides and ends and engaged by the pintle projections, the hingelinks having upper members to receive the pintle projections of the endsto elevate the lower edges of the latter above the lower edges of thesides.

a. A folding crate comprising a bottom, infolding sides and endsprovided with pintle projections at their lower corners, supportingbrackets secured to the corners of the bottom and having upstandingmembers, and hinge links assembled in loose relation to the supportingbrackets and having lower and upper members for engagement by the pintleprojections of the sides and ends, the upper members of the hinge linksbeing in planes at right angles to the lower members of the same.

5. A folding crate, comprising a bottom, infolding sides and ends, and ahinge organization at the lower corners of the sides and ends and thecorners of the bottom and including hinge links having upper and lowermembers at angles to each other, the hinge links being loosely assembledwith relation to the remaining parts of the hinge organization.

6. A folding crate comprising a bottom, infolding sides and ends, and ahinge organization consisting of supporting brackets secured to thecorners of the bottom and having upstanding members with outer shouldersand upper rounded edges, pintle brackets secured to the lower corners ofthe sides and ends and provided with pintle projections, and hinge linksloosely assembled with relation to the supporting brackets and havingupper and lower members respectively engaged by the pintle projectionsof the ends and sides and disposed at angles to each other, the uppermembers of the hinge links projecting over on the upper rounded edges ofthe upstanding members of the supporting brackets and also engaging theshoulders of the latter when the sides and ends are in operativeposition.

7. A folding crate comprising a bottom, infolding sides and ends havingpintle means and brackets for connecting the same to each other, membersloosely interposed between the brackets and portions of the infoldingsides and ends and engaged by the pintle means, clips secured on theupper corners of the ends, and fastening means carried by the adjacentupper corners of the sides for engagement by the clips.

8. A folding crate comprising a bottom, infolding sides and ends, hingedmeans connecting the lower corners of the sides and ends and the bottomto each other and including brackets and pintle means, members looselyassembled between the lower corners of the sides and ends and bracketsand engaged by the pintle means, and fastening means at the uppercorners of the sides and ends.

9. A folding crate comprising a bottom, sides and ends movably attachedto the bot tom, a removable cover having supporting bars with angularlyrecessed extremities projecting outwardly therefrom to engage the upperportions of the sides to prevent loose movement of the cover, andlocking means cooperating with the cover and one of the sides.

10. A crate comprising a bottom, sides and ends movably attached to thebottom, a removable cover having end bars, a portion of the extremitiesof the end bars having a separable locking engagement with one of the Intestimony whereof I have hereunto set frames of the crate and theremaining pormy hand in presenoe of two subscribing Wit- 10 tions of theextremities of the end bars nesses.

extending loosely over the upper portion of ODELON J LA BAUVE anopposite frame, and means for locking the one side of the cover to theframe of the \Vitnesses: coop over which the extremities of the end F.G. MOFFETT, bars loosely extend. W. WV. MoCRoRY.

